Vanity of Love
by LoverAndRival
Summary: Sunstreaker is a vain mech, but is it by choice? Sunstreaker's secret lover makes demands that control everything in Sunny's life. Too bad he can't see the pain of being possessed by love. R&R


Disclaimer: Me no own! T.T

Warning: Abusive relationship

Note: This story idea came from a bunny produced by silver_rayan

Note2: This was a spur of the moment story due to the bunny. I really hope you like it but please keep in mind that I don't have a beta reader. Any mistakes you come across please let me know so that I can update and improve the story. I also know that I have other stories (unfinished) that I should be working on but I'm using this story as a kick in the butt to get me writing mode. Please read and review and let me know what you think.

Enjoy! :D

Voices bounced off the steel walls and echoed miles into the volcano. Not long after the Autobots awoken on the organic planet, known by its inhabitants as Earth, they began to excavate the area around the Ark shoved deep into the mountain's side. The extra space allowed for more room for the Autobots to move and live daily lives, the ship, though large, was never meant to be permanent living quarters for the crew. Many of the Autobots had rooms and living spaces dug within the walls of the mountain, some did it for the extra room, some for their love of the strange organic world and having a desire to be just a little bit more closer to it, and others had their own personal reasons to wanting live off the Ark. Even Optimus had a room off the Ark for when being the Prime was just a little too much for him to handle and he wanted to separate himself away from Cybertron's politics and ideas. The series of tunnels and rooms formed what could almost be described as an ant's nest, Optimus' room being the Queen's chamber found many miles deep into the earth.

Sunstreaker avoided it all like it was a swarm of paint eating cybertoads. There's dirt, rock, dust, and sharp jagged edges down there that were risks to his paint and frame. A single scratch from down there wasn't worth the trip to visit anyone in their earthly abodes. Wasn't worth it at all. If even the tiniest of dent were to show up on his frame, Sunstreaker's lover would notice. He always noticed the slightest of flaws. How there was an inch long scratch on Sunstreaker's thigh, right after Sunstreaker had returned from a border patrol, and how unappealing it was. Didn't Sunstreaker know how to take care of his body? Didn't he know that these scratches, smudges, dents, abrasions, and thousands of other flaws that littered his body made him uglier and more grotesque? _You're disgusting me. Go wash yourself off before coming near me and put some wax on for Primus' sake. At least try to make yourself appealing._

In the showers Sunstreaker scrubbed and scrubbed debris off his frame. Others in the communal washroom watched Sunstreaker from the corners of their eyes. Judging him. Sunstreaker was _clean_ joors ago, but still he stood there under the jets of cleansers washing away the most miniscule of dust particles. Egomaniac. Self-centered and conceded. Vanity driven arrogant, conceited smug bastard with a superiority complex. Beautiful. _Stop looking at me. I don't want to see your face while I'm doing this. It'll turn me off._

Scrub. Scrub. Not clean enough, not pretty enough.

Scrub. Scrub. Not good enough.

"Sunny?"

Scrub. Scrub. Scrub.

"Sunny!" Black servos reached out and grabbed his frantic hands. Catching and holding them in a solid grip. "Sunstreaker! What's got into you? You've literally scrubbed your paint off. Look." Sideswipe moved Sunstreaker's arms to show the bare patches of paint on his arms. A field of silver rashes splattered up and down Sunstreaker's yellow arms, testifying to him the truth. _Ugly Sunny._ Ugly Sunny.

"I'm going to have Ratchet repaint me. He used the wrong color last time which left my whole color scheme off balanced and it was annoying me," Sunstreaker's stoic face never twitched nor moved in showing any bottling emotions burning like coal inside him. He looked straight into his brother's optics and lied.

"Couldn't you have just asked Ratchet to take care of it instead of going insa-Know what? Never mind. Do what you want, just next time just have Ratchet take care of the problem first before leaving the med bay. Okay?" Sideswipe moved away from his brother, letting go of Sunny's hands in the process. That lopsided smile that he was so well known for showing on his face as he shook his head as if Sunstreaker just told him a lame, but funny joke. _Don't smile so much. It's annoying._

"Whatever," Sunstreaker puffed, already annoyed with Sideswipe. Crossing his arms over his chest and nose in the air, he strode out of the wash racks like the king of Cybertron.

"Thanks for coming, Sides," Hound whispered. "He was starting to scare me there."

"Nah," Sideswipe smiled and waved his hands in front of him, "No big deal. He was focusing really hard and just forgot where he was. He wouldn't have hurt anyone," with that last line, Sideswipe waved goodbye and made his escape. He left Bluestreak waiting in the rec. room and he didn't want to keep him waiting any longer, at least now that he knew his brother was okay.

"What did you do to yourself!" The sight of Sunstreaker walking into his med bay as if he just came in from being caught in acid rain had Ratchet up in a roar. "I just painted your dumb aft last week after you decided to get caught behind Ramjet's afterburners."

"I need you to repaint me," Sunstreaker spoke blunt as usual.

"Like the Pit I'm going to repaint you!" Ratchet was in a fit now. His hands were fisted on his hips as he snarled, "And you still didn't answer my question. What did you do to yourself?"

"You painted me the wrong color so I got annoyed looking at its putrid appearance on my frame and proceeding to remove it."

"I-I painted…I painted you the wrong color!" Smoke was almost pouring out of Ratchet's joints as his anger increased his body's internal temperature. "I used the _same exact_ color I used the last time you came in here in need of repainting. And the time before that. And the time before that! In fact, I think you only come in one color, and I have to specially order the Unicron tainted color just so that I could avoid you nagging me about it being the _wrong_ color!"

"It was still the wrong color," Sunstreaker stood there unfazed by Ratchet's rant. He was used to the Autobot's medic's peculiar behavior and attitude for melodramatic shows.

"I think I'm going to strangle you," Ratchet's left optic began to twitch as he tried to restrain himself from exacting justice on his unwanted patient.

"How about you do that after you repaint me?" Sunstreaker moved bravely to a nearby med berth and sat down. The whole process would take a few short breems, less if Ratchet did the job right.

"I swear I don't know who'll I'll off line first, you or your brother," Ratchet grumbled as he moved to collect the supplies needed to repaint Sunstreaker, in the same exact color that he used from last time. Never mind that Sunstreaker believed it was the wrong color. Maybe he should check and make sure that Sunstreaker's optics were functioning correctly?

Moving to where Sunstreaker was sitting, Ratchet lifted one of the yellow arms to begin painting when he noticed some peculiar dents.

"Where you get these dents from?" Ratchet zoomed in his optics on the targeted locations. It looked like someone had left handprints dented into Sunstreaker's frame. Ratchet didn't like the look of how the dents concaved into Sunstreaker's wrist. Usually any fights among the Autobots didn't leave marks like these, least of all on Sunstreaker. He was supposed to have denser alloy due to him being a front liner, not to mention that Sunstreaker usually tried to avoid anything that affected his body. Either someone was really angry or really strong to leave these kind of marks on Sunstreaker.

"What dents?" Sunstreaker gasped and looked down onto his arms. From where Sideswipe had touched him were now imprints of Sideswipe's servoes. He didn't recall Sideswipe grabbing him that hard. _How did I get stuck with the ugly twin? _"They're nothing." Sunstreaker would have to fix those before meeting up with his lover.

"Hmph," Ratchet decided that he had had enough of Sunstreaker for the day. If Sunstreaker was getting into fights with others let the other officers handle it. He just wanted to get done with his shift without the extra paperwork of reporting in-house fighting. Why him, Primus?

After fifteen breems, Sunstreaker approved himself fit for public. With a cautionary thank you to the medic, Sunstreaker made his quick escape to his and Sideswipe's room to take care of the dents. If he wanted to spend any time with his lover today, he needed to move quickly. His lover wouldn't wait up for him. The last time Sunstreaker didn't meet the time frame for seeing his lover Sunstreaker slept alone in an abandon room in an unused corridor. He couldn't go back to his room because he had promised Sideswipe that he would give him and Bluestreak some room for the night, promising that he had a place to stay. Sunstreaker had spent the night alone.

Looking in the mirror, Sunstreaker saw flaws and mistakes. His optics were too far apart and the bridge of his nose was too wide. His chin was flat and his lips weren't lush. His neck cables were fat. Optics closer to lavender than baby blue. Head fins not perfectly leveled. Shoulders too broad. Peds too big.

He wasn't good enough for his lover. Look at him. Just look at him. Ugly and disgusting with every degrading flaw possible to make him unworthy of love. _You're lucky that I've put up with you as long as I have._

It'll have to do. Sunstreaker really wanted to spend some time with his lover today. They couldn't spend time together in public and could only be intimate in certain secret locations. _Like the Pit I'm going to be caught being seen with you in public. You know how embarrassing that would be for me? How much being seen with you would affect my credentials? If anyone saw me even touching elbows with you, I could very well be laughed off the Wreckers. Do you know embarrassing that would be? Do you?_

Moving down the corridors and halls until he came to the deserted corridor on the far side of the Ark. Red Alert didn't have cameras down here because Prowl had argued that it was a waste of supplies to watch certain designated areas that were of no importance to the Decepticons and were so deep in the Ark that it was impossible for there to a break-in. Sunstreaker moved until he stood at the third door on the left.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The door slid open smooth from being used often. Standing there in his green glory was Sunstreaker's secret lover. He was perfect and beautiful.

"About time you showed up," Springer frown tilted further down as he weighed in Sunstreaker's appearance. "I see you didn't wax yourself before seeing me."

"But I did," Sunstreaker looked down at himself. He had waxed himself five times before showing up. If light were to hit his frame at certain angles he could blind a mech from its' reflection.

"Are you saying that I'm unable to tell if you waxed?" Springer stood up straighter, arms crossing his broad chest. He looked at Sunstreaker down his nose.

"No, I was just –"

"Stop," a palm of a hand was shoved into Sunstreaker's face. "I don't want to hear your excuses. And get inside before someone sees you. Primus, what were you thinking walking around in public looking like that?"

"Sorry," Sunstreaker lowered his head, optics looking at the ground. He felt frustrated with himself for not meeting Springer's expectations.

Springer sighed and reached out for Sunstreaker, grabbing him by the shoulders Springer brought Sunstreaker to his chest. His massive arms wrapped around Sunstreaker and he kissed the tip of Sunstreaker's head fins and helm. Sunstreaker rested a cheek against Springer's chest, listening to the hum the spark behind fortified armor. He felt safe, warm, and loved wrapped within these arms and against this chest. Springer was the only one that could love him like this.

"You know I love you, Sunny," Springer whispered quietly in the air near Sunstreaker's right head fin.

"Of course, Springer," Sunstreaker replied back, lips brushing against green armor. "I love you too."

"But you have to understand the situation I'm in when it comes to you," Springer pulled Sunstreaker deeper into the room, away from the closed and locked door. "People would judge us if they caught us together. There are certain expectations others have about me that I need to keep and you could ruin all of my…our dreams for the future. You don't want that do you, Sunny? No. Of course you wouldn't because you love me enough to understand my situation. You love me enough to understand my certain peculiarities and wants. Like how I want you to look your best at all times, including when you're not with me. I want people to desire you while I know that I'm the only one that can touch and love you," Springer nuzzled into his lover's neck as Sunstreaker purred in excitement. "But that won't happen if you keep making yourself look unpleasant to my optics."

Sunstreaker's optics brightened at those words and flashed before resetting. Energon wanted to leak from his optics' crevices, but he wouldn't, couldn't, embarrass himself anymore before Springer. Springer deserved better than a whimpering, crying mech gravelling at his feet for forgiveness.

"You know no one else can love you like I can. Like I'm willing to do," Springer kissed his way around Sunstreaker's chin and up to his head fins, blowing warm air onto them. "Maybe, if you would make yourself look decent every once and a while I could be convinced to be seen sipping energon with you while you sit at my table. But you aren't doing a good job at convincing me, now are you, Sunny?" Springer blew air into the other head fin, "I'm not asking for much. I just want you to look nice for me. Especially if after this war I decide to make you my bondmate," Springer's lips touched Sunstreaker's and Sunstreaker gave a heated, broken whimper. "You'd like that wouldn't you, Sunny? You'd always have a part of my spark and I would always be part of yours. You would always have a place, a home by my side. You would be the carrier to all my sparklings. The perfect life, Sunny. There could never be any doubt that you weren't loved or wanted."

Springer moved away from Sunstreaker, a soft smile on his lips. He moved to a nearby table as Sunstreaker stood in the center of the room in a haze of love and thinking, believing, that one day he would be Springer's bondmate. There would never be any doubt about where he belonged because he would belong with Springer. Springer would love him and never forget about him. Springer would never replace him or forget about him because they would be bondmates. There was nothing greater than being bondmates. Even his twin would come second to his bondmate. Life would be perfect. He would finally be happy because their love would never again be a secret.

"Catch."

Without thinking and acting solely on instinct, Sunstreaker caught the small flat tin can being thrown towards his chest. It was a specially scented wax from Cybertron.

"Wax yourself until you make yourself appealing enough for me to frag your spark into electric shock," Springer sat on the edge of a used, ragged berth. He smiled sweetly up to Sunstreaker, "My future bondmate."

Sunstreaker's spark fluttered and he swooned to be near Springer on the berth. He wanted to be perfect and be everything Springer wanted him to be. Love was all about sacrifices, right?

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this story. I don't plan on this story being too many chapters

Plus: tell me if anyone even expected Sunny's lover in being Springer. I figure I should explain myself in why I decided to choose him as Sunny's "abusive" lover. 1) Most of the characters in TF's I like certain pairings which removed them from this role of the story 2) I didn't want to use a decepticon because that would be too easy 3a) I had to go through characters' personalities and decide which would fit best the role 3b) I've used Cliffjumper in another story with in a pairing with Sunny 3c) I like Tracks 4) I've read a story before with the pairing of Springer/Sunstreaker where Springer left Sunstreaker and broke his spark 5) the graphic novels that I've read with Springer in them usually have Springer as a dominate personality who acts brash and with a quick temper for those who question his authority and failure (Ex: Spotlight: Kup) 6) because I decided to ;P

Thanks for reading and please review. I don't know if the story is good or bad if I'm not told.


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